Cinnamon Apple Muffins are so scrumptious and full of warm cinnamon and crisp apple bits and finished with a cinnamon sugar topping. Favorite bakery style muffins recipe with amazing flavor and aroma, perfect to enjoy anytime.
And believe me, when autumn rolls around, these babies are in high demand.
In reality, they are perfect as a year-round breakfast treat, but for some reason, I immediately associate them with cool autumn mornings with all that cinnamon and apple deliciousness they have in their favor.
And luckily, these babies definitely have lots going on in their favor!
These cinnamon apple muffins use just one apple to make a dozen muffins, but if you prefer more apple bits in your muffins, by all means, I’d increase it to two. Dice them small so that the pieces of apple aren’t overwhelming when you take a bite of muffin. You want every single bite to be well-balanced in flavor and texture.
What Apples to Use for Cinnamon Apple Muffins?
You can use whichever baking apple you prefer. I like to use Braeburn, Rome, Jon Gold, Gala, Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, and SweeTango apples in these muffins. I also like that when I bite into the apple pieces, I still know that it is apple and not make me think it is applesauce or apple butter included. Don’t you?
Along with apples, flour, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla, you’ll just need some butter, milk, baking powder, salt, and eggs. The classic ingredients for a cinnamon apple muffin, I think. Nothing weird here.
Once the muffins are in the oven baking, I like to brown a little bit of butter and mix together a bowl of cinnamon sugar. Then, once the muffins have cooled slightly, I dip the tops of the muffins into the slightly warm brown butter and then into the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Talk about perfection!
Amazingly enough though, folks don’t just eat the tops of the muffins and then forget about the sweet little base. They gobble the whole thing up it’s so well balanced in flavors.
But, just in case you were wondering, you can skip that indulgent little coating on the top, but I seriously recommend you don’t.
These muffins are so easy to make ahead so you can have this delicious muffin when ever you want.
Freeze instructions: You can make these muffins ahead and store them in an airtight container for a couple of days or freeze them to keep them longer up to 3 months. Just cool the muffins completely, wrap them in 2 layers of freezer wrap so they are airtight and place them in the freezer. You can also freeze them after you add the topping.
To Reheat: You can either let them thaw at room temperature or heat them frozen, unwrapped in the microwave, or wrapped in foil in the oven. If you want, you can wait and add the topping after you reheat them.
Other Favorite Muffin Recipes
More Muffin Recipes
Here’s my Cinnamon Apple Muffins. Make them soon.
Cinnamon Apple Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, + 2 teaspoons for coating apples
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, + 1/2 teaspoon for coating apples
- 2 cups diced apples
- ½ cup unsalted butter, , room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk
For the Topping:
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º F. Spray muffin tins with bakers spray or coat well with shortening or butter and flour, making sure to discard any excess flour from the tins after coating.
- Sift together 2 cups flour, baking powder, salt, and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Mix 2 teaspoons flour with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Toss diced apples with the flour/cinnamon mixture to coat apples in a separate bowl. Set aside.
- Cream together butter and sugar until lightened in color, about 3 minutes. Add an egg, one at a time, taking care to fully incorporate before adding the other. Mix in vanilla.
- Gently fold in flour mixture, alternating with milk. Stir until just combined. Fold in diced apples and scoop mixture into prepared muffin tins, filling about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
- Prepare topping for muffins while the muffins are baking by melting the butter and allowing to cool slightly. Pour butter into a separate bowl sized easy for dipping tops of muffins. Mix together granulated sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl and set aside.
- Once muffins have baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly in the muffin tin. Then, remove each muffin and brush the butter on with a pastry brush (or dip into the melted butter) and then into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place onto a plate to finish cooling.
Notes
The original recipe called for a 1 to 1 mixture of sugar and cinnamon. If you prefer a less cinnamon flavor in your topping, reduce the mixture to 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.Â
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Hi! I just wanted to say i have been making these muffins regularly for my family and they all love them (and its hard to impress my husband, he is very critical of what goes into foods).
Just wondering how they would freeze? Id like to make a big batch and keep them in the freezer for snacks.
Hi Cam,
They freeze beautifully! Just flash freeze them on a rimmed sheet pan for about 15 minutes and then package them into sealable freezer bags for up to 2 months. Then, just remove the number you need, reheat and serve! I’m so glad your family loves them!!!
How many calories per muffin?
I made these muffins today for Sunday brunch. I followed recipe exactly including yummy cinnamon topping. WOW…. So good and uses basic ingredients I had. This will be in my fav’s.
My brother bought packet mix cinnamon muffins one night and mum lost the plot so i decided to show him how it should be done and found this recipe.
Ive never tasted better cinnamon apple muffins, these are absolutely delicious <3
Very good! My son loves these almost as much as i do 🙂
These muffins are incredible ? mouth watering smell and taste is amazing!! My family always wants me to make them, wow
At the last minute, I found out there will be more mouths to feed tomorrow morning (Christmas morning!). Several more! Scrambled to pad the menu with things I had the ingredients and time for and decided an apple-cinnamon muffin would be perfect. These are lovely. I made them as mini-muffins and they’re lovely. I followed the recipe exactly. They’re not too heavy, or too sweet, but addictive. So good that I came to rate them literally the first minute I had time to sit down and relax. I will be proud to serve them. Will be making these regularly.
Merry Christmas, Robyn, Your recipe is the best out there, as I used others before. The amount of apples and milk make your muffins very light and moisty. I did the dipping to make the muffins 120% delicious. I baked last night when my kid was sleeping and left it at the dinner table before I left for work this morning. It warms my heart when I imagine the surprise and happiness my child sees these delicious muffins. Thank you for your recipes to help me being a good mother, and a good wife.
PS: I made my own minor adjustment by cutting the sugar to 1/2 cup, adding 1/2 diced apple, 1/2 shradded apple, and 1/2 baking soda.
the adjustment: cutting sugar to 1/2 cup, adding 1/2 cup more diced apple, adding one whole apple shadded with juice, and 1/2 teaspone baking soda. Sorry missed measurement in my comment.
I just made these and they are fantastic. I followed the recipe exactly, including dipping in butter and cinnamon/sugar mixture. I tested out the recipe today for a possible Christmas breakfast gathering. DEFINITELY making these Christmas!!!
Hi Robyn, I had to let you know that I used your cinnamon and apple muffins recipe for a bake off in my workplace today. It was a charity event and I won star baker!. Everyone loved them they are truly delicious and the topping really completes them. Thank you.